These tough townhouses prove why building small is the future

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Christchurch architect Mitchell Coll designed two small yet robust homes on a tiny city site. He explains why building small is the best thing for sustainability

Q&A with Mitchell Coll of Coll Architecture

As a champion of sustainable design, what aspect of the home are you most proud of and why?
I believe building small trumps all other sustainable features. I don’t believe adding anything extra to a building can be called sustainable, even if it’s a sustainably sourced product. The most sustainable thing we can do is not build at all. We then need to work our way up from doing nothing to a point where we feel comfortable to live. This house has everything we need in terms of space; it’s also easy to heat, clean, and maintain. I will concede that we could have reduced materials further to have less impact on the environment, but comfort and aesthetics play an important part in extending the life of a building.

Does the footprint on the small pocket of land mean you had to resolve more technical issues than you would normally?
Not really, though the land came with its own technical challenges. The ground was very soft and peaty and it will settle over time. It’s also an area that had a lot of backfilling done over the 160 or so years of human use. Those things, and our own requirement of being able to move the building, meant we needed a custom-foundation solution that would solve a number of issues at once. The small land area really just meant we needed to take plenty of time in overall development planning and space efficiency of the build, but this is something I think is important to do on all projects.

Why did you opt for a petite house over utilising the land for a larger dwelling?
Whether it was us living here, or someone else, we wanted to build a quality development that would last a long time and be comfortable for all occupants. Building smaller allows us to do this in a more financially sustainable way. To build a big house or a lower-density development would force us to cut corners with quality, reducing the life span of the building and risk wasting resources.

How well does the rental situation work in such close confines?
We spent a lot of time considering how the site would be laid out to give full privacy between all occupants. We’ve laid the site out so you really don’t feel you are living in an attached unit. We also used quality products and good detailing for the acoustics on the inter-tenancy wall to ensure no noise is transmitted between units.

Mitchell Coll at the front of the house he shares with partner Amy Douglas in Christchurch. Tucked behind it is the mirror image of their 74- square-metre home.

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The Corten steel is fixed as a rain screen and allows flashings and window frames to hide behind it. The result is a crisp, uncluttered exterior – important on a small build, says Coll.

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The timber and ply-lined living area has a cabin-like feel: “It’s a little alpine lodge in the middle of the city,” says Coll.

The ‘Carmo’ sofa is from BoConcept. ‘Gone Bush’ by Kirsty Nixon hangs on the wall.

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The kitchen island features compact laminate, a hard-wearing material more commonly used in hospitals than homes. The fixture adds colour to the timber interior.

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Exposed steel and fixings support the cross-laminated timber floors and stair.

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Skylights on the first floor give views of the sky. They also ensure privacy and the illusion of seclusion.

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The timber wardrobe door is painted Resene ‘Unwind’ to match the kitchen laminate.

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The main bedroom is lit by a skylight, a small window and an elegant strip at the apex of the roof. The couple has few decorative possessions: one of them is the leaf made from rubbish and earth on the wall that Coll carried back from a trip to Mexico.

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Full-height tiles lend luxury in the shower room and timber gives it a sauna-like feel.

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The bathroom has a built-in vanity and timber that matches the rest of the interiors.

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The night-time candle-lit quality is enhanced by the warmth of the russet exterior. Resident parking is located at the front of the home.

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A mural by local artist Joel Hart was commissioned to line the entrance to the rear house.

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Coll and Douglas at their front door. The exterior lighting resonates with the interior and the floor carries through to the deck for continuity.

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Rusted steel cladding at one end of the home and a tiny top-floor window lend the home an impenetrable feel.